Flying High and Solo
by LadieLazarus
Summary: Jaina and Jacen have a birthday with their friends that they'll never forget


Disclaimer: None of this stuff is mine. If it was, I would be a millionaire, not a freelance fan-fic writer.   
  
  
Flying high and Solo  
Jaina and Jacen have the best birthday ever on Yavin 4. That is, the best for those in favor of a Jacen/Tenel Ka and a Jaina/Zekk thing. romantic at some points.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Jaina Solo looked at the new ship. Her new ship! Her father, Han Solo, had given it to her for her 19th birthday. She named it Force Array. (After a lucky hand in Sabaac) Her father had already given her a small T-16 landspeeder for her birthday last year. She knew it wasn't custom to name speeders, but since that was as close to a ship as she thought she'd get, she'd called the speeder The Levitator. Her uncle, Luke Skywalker, had liked that name. He said it was perfect for a vehicle at a Jedi Academy. But the Force Array was a ship be proud of! A real Coreillian fighter. Almost the Falcon's perfect miniature. Jaina knew that was why her father had picked it. Soon after he gave it to her, after the hugging and kissing of gratitude that is, he left to go find Jacen, Jaina's twin brother, to give him his present.   
  
Jacen Solo blinked and looked again. There it was, a mate for his gort hatchling, Nicta. A blue fluffball with three eyes. Identical to Nicta except for the stripe that ran down his back. That stripe identified him as a male gort. Jacen had wanted a mate for Nicta as long as he'd had her. The only problem was that gort, especially male gorts, were hard to find! He looked at his dad in surprise! "Dad! Where'd you find a gort?"   
"I pulled a few strings!" Han gave his son a lopsided grin.   
"Wow! I'll say!" Jacen took the gort over to Nicta's cage and dropped him in. "I'll name him, 'Bleat'." The gort walked over to the opposite side of the cage where he presently fell asleep.   
  
  
"Friend Jaina," Tenel Ka walked into the hangar bay. "I wanted to see you before I went to see your brother." She looked at Jaina, one of her best friends, and smiled. "Happy birthday, friend Jaina."   
"Thanks, Tenel Ka." Jaina smiled back. "Hey, Tee?"  
"Yes, friend Jaina?"  
"Things are getting pretty serious between me and Zekk. If I ever get married, promise me you'll be my bridesmaid at the ceremony."   
"I would be honored, friend Jaina." Tenel Ka embraced her friend and left to find Jacen  
  
Tenel Ka stood at the door to Jacen's room. She wanted to wish him a happy birthday but didn't want to interrupt his father's visit. She waited until, laughing and punching each other playfully, Han and Jacen emerged from the room. "Hey Tee!" Jacen's face lit up, "How are you? Haven't seen you yet today."  
"Hello, Jacen." Tenel Ka and Jacen decided that if they were going to be a couple, the "friend" part of the greeting was pretty obsolete. "Happy birthday."   
"Thanks Tee. Seen my laser brains sister around?"  
"This is a fact. Friend Jaina is in the hangar bay looking at her ship."  
"Well, I guess she'll find out anyway then."  
"Find out what, Jacen?"  
"Lando's coming. He hasn't been here in some time, much to Aunt Mara's relief."  
"This is a fact."   
"Yeah. I just hope Aunt Mara and Lando can be civil toward each other for our party."  
"Yes. This is also a fact."   
  
Jaina sat in the cockpit of the Force Array, still not quite believing it was hers, when a familiar voice crackled over the comm.   
"Requesting permission to land and all that good stuff. This is the Lady Luck." (I know that Peckhum said this, but I loved the line. So, what the heck.)  
"Lando!" Jaina literally dove for the comm. "We need more of that official sounding stuff, Lady Luck." Jaina giggled as he processed her comment.  
"Happy Birthday, young lady." Lando laughed. "Sorry that's all the official stuff I've got. I do, however, have presents. But, I suppose if there's no one on Yavin 4 who wants them......."  
"Ha ha ha, Calrissian." Jaina's sarcastic remark was barely audible. "Get down here you con artist."  
"Ex-con artist, to you, young lady. I'm coming down."  
"Alright. Landing bay, #46. Same as always."  
"Roger."  
"No, I'm Jaina." She giggled. Lando groaned.  
"Woah! Jacen, is that you? Your brother's rubbing off on you, Jaina."  
"Yeah, yeah. Come on and land."  
"Okay, Lady Luck out." Jaina walked to the landing bay and waited for the pleasure cruiser to land. But, before Lando showed up, She felt a an arm around her waist.  
"Hey, birthday girl."   
"Hello Zekk." She rested her head on his shoulder for a moment.  
"Who are you waiting for?"  
"Lando."  
"Oh. Okay. Have you named your ship yet?"  
"Yeah. I think so. I'll tell you when I can tell you and Lando at the same time so that I don't have to tell you twice."  
"Okay." Zekk kissed her cheek.  
"Hey, where's my present?" She asked playfully.  
"I'll give it to you later." He said, matching her tone.  
"Sounds like fun." She laughed.  
"It will be." He assured her. He kissed her firmly on the mouth just as the Lady Luck landed.  
"Well, you two haven't changed." Lando laughed as he stepped off the ramp, interrupting the moment. Jaina blushed crimson. "Don't worry," He laughed, "I won't tell your father." Zekk sighed with relief.   
Han Solo had never outright verbally expressed a strong dislike for Zekk. Although his disapproval of the relationship was obvious. Everyone knew, however, that Han's disapproval was more or less directed at the fear of not being the main man in his daughter's life and not at Zekk personally. She wasn't his little girl if she was married. That was what, everyone knew, he resented most of all. Zekk, however, reached an understanding with Captain Solo. He stayed out of his way, and didn't touch Jaina. Well, at least not in front of Han. Otherwise, Han would have a few things to say about it. And he might say it with a blaster. Also, knowing that Han was te fastest draw in the galaxy did nothing to comfort Zekk.   
Lando handed Jaina a box right away. She tore it open to reveal a sparkling, new multitool. At the very end, the words: Property of Jaina Solo adorned the handle.  
"How did you know that I needed one?" Jaina threw her arms around her dad's buddy in a grateful hug.   
"I've seen that sorry excuse for a multitool you carry now. This one has four new extensions especially for Coreillian corvettes like the one I hear your dad got you." He crowed.  
"Yep. Got me a fine ship!" Jaina's voice swelled with pride.   
"She got a name?" Lando looked at his old friend's daughter.  
"Yep, I call her Force Array." Lando chuckled.   
"After the Sabacc hand?"  
"What else?"   
"Of course, Lando slung an arm around Zekk's shoulder and looked pointedly at Jaina, "Yep, son, you got yourself a great Sabacc player here." Zekk laughed. "A beauty too." Lando added. The old, smooth, tone creeping into his voice.   
"Save it Calrissian." Jaina chuckled, flushing slightly. "Speaking of Sabacc, which I believe you were, you owe me a game."   
"Yep, believe I do. Maybe after evening meal." Lando said thoughtfully.  
"See ya then." Jaina grinned, "I got a whole bunch of credits from my dad for my birthday."   
"Not enough." Lando's eyes sparkled.  
"Wanna bet?"  
"Save your gambling. I'll see you later. I have to go find your uncle and your darling aunt." Lando's expression turned dark for a minute until he turned and walked into the Jedi Academy with a burgundy cape trailing behind him.   
  
  
"Jasa?" Jaina walked into her twin brother's room. He's probably with Tenel Ka. Jaina thought. She headed for the river.   
  
"Tee?"   
"Yes, Jacen?" The two friends and Lowbacca, the wookie gathered at the muddy, deep river that flowed by the Academy.   
"Wanna go for a swim?"  
"This is a fact." Without waiting for a reply, Tenel Ka jumped into the river. Jacen followed her. Lowie sat in the tree for a minute and growled at them.   
"Master Lowbacca wishes to inform you that it is his belief that...." Lowbacca's miniaturized translating droid, Em Tedee, was cut short by a wave of Jacen's hand.  
"I know what he said, Em Tedee. Lowie, of course we're acting like children! We're not exactly senior citizens! Come on! Get in." The wookie laughed and prepared to jump from the tree.   
"Master Lowbacca, I don't think that this is a good idea! It is quite a long drooooop!" Em Tedee's warning as cut short by a giant wookie-caused tidal wave. The droid was in no danger of short circuiting because of the waterproofing gaskets that Jaina had fixed him up with. "Oh dear! Master Lowbacca! That was not very intelligent!" Lowbacca growled a response. "Actually, Master Lowbacca, a shut-down cycle appeals very much to me." The wookie swam over to shore and placed the silver droid on a rock.   
"Now, Lowie, is that any way to treat your droid." Jaina and Zekk, holding hands of course, walked up to the river and waded out to their friends. Lowie chuffed with laughter. All at once, just as Jaina was asking where her brother disappeared to, he pulled her under the water by her ankles! She came up spluttering! Her pride was hurt more than she was. "Jacen Solo! You little nerf-herder!!" Jacen burst into hysterical laughter.   
"I'm sorry Jaya! You should have seen your face! I couldn't help it!!" Jaina scowled as her brother collapsed into the water laughing! Before the first son of Han Solo had time to think, Jaina had him in a headlock! She pushed him under the water! Now, she was the one laughing!   
"Apologize, nerf-herder!" Jaina said, releasing her twin. Jacen looked at her in amused shock!   
"Sorry, Jaya! Didn't mean to show you up in front of your boyfriend!"   
"Liar! You're not sorry!"  
"Sooo? You're point is......"  
"That's it! Zekk, let's go for a walk!" Jaina, actually glad to be alone with Zekk, grabbed Zekk's hand and the duo headed into the jungle.   
  
After Jaina and Zekk left, the twin's friend Raynar Thul ran up.   
"There's a message for Lowie at the Comm center. It's from Kashyyk." Raynar escorted Lowie back to the Academy to get the message from his family.  
"Well, Tee, I guess we will just to stay here all alone." Jacen put his arm around the warrior girl and kissed her on the cheek.  
"This is a fact." She didn't require an answer. Which is probably good, seeing as Jacen's mouth was probably too busy to give one anyway.  
  
Meanwhile, in the jungle, Jaina and Zekk had settled on a similar destination. They took a breather (literally) for a minute and just sat there, with her head on his shoulder for a while. Not saying anything , just listening to the sounds of the jungle.   
"Hey, you promised to give me my present."  
"Yeah, I guess I did. A promise is a promise." Zekk pulled a small, velvet box out of his pocket. Jaina opened it to reveal a ring with a whitish stone in the center. "It's Alderaanian crystal." He added unnecessarily.   
"I know." Jaina breathed, "My mom has one almost just like it. It was an engagement gift from dad...." Jaina trailed off, blushed and looked at Zekk, "This must have cost you a fortune." She said shyly.  
"Enough." Zekk said, "Don't worry about it. It's a gift. You're worth it. But, before you wear it, you have to promise me something."  
"Anything."  
"Promise me that you'll marry me." Jaina said nothing. Her heart was beating a million miles a minute! Had Zekk just asked her what she thought he did? "Well?" Zekk's voice broke through her thoughts, "Will you marry me?" He was asking her! She just looked at Zekk for the longest time before leaning over and kissing him gently.   
"I will. I promise." She said. "We better get back to the Academy, we'll be late for evening meal. And I have a Sabacc game to go to." Zekk chuckled and they walked back to the Great Temple, arms around each other's waists.   
When they arrived back, Jacen could tell what had transpired simply by looking at his twin sister's face.  
"Congratulations, Jaya." He hugged his twin.   
"Thanks, Jasa." She hugged him back.  
"About what, friend Jaina?" A puzzled Tenel Ka asked.  
"Well, it's a long story. Remember that bridesmaid thing that we talked about?" Tenel Ka nodded, "Well...."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



End file.
